Reduced spontaneous eye blink rates in recreational cocaine users: evidence for dopaminergic hypoactivity.
Chronic use of cocaine is associated with a reduced density of dopaminergic D2 receptors in the striatum, with negative consequences for cognitive control processes. Increasing evidence suggests that cognitive control is also affected in recreational cocaine consumers. This study aimed at linking these observations to dopaminergic malfunction by studying the spontaneous eyeblink rate (EBR), a marker of striatal dopaminergic functioning, in adult recreational users and a cocaine-free sample that was matched on age, race, gender, and personality traits. Correlation analyses show that EBR is significantly reduced in recreational users compared to cocaine-free controls, suggesting that cocaine use induces hypoactivity in the subcortical dopamine system.
Colzato
Lorenza S
LS
Institute for Psychological Research & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. colzato@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
van den Wildenberg
Wery P M
WP
Hommel
Bernhard
B
D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine